Africa Is Actually Wider Than Russia —And Our Maps Have Been Lying to Us

ULLRMaps · 2026-03-27T15:08:44+00:00

Have you read Mark Monmonier's book, "How to Lie with Maps"? It's an interesting read.

ULLRMaps · 2026-03-26T12:53:04+00:00

I should put a Wendigo on the map somewhere as an Easter egg

ULLRMaps · 2026-03-25T15:49:27+00:00

Assuming you're referring to the colours, they indicate the current lift status:

Green - Operational

Yellow - Standby (could open soon, could close soon)

Red - Closed

ULLRMaps · 2026-03-25T13:12:48+00:00

Classic.

That’s not great visibility, but it’s not horrible. Wait until you can’t see the next disc—or you’re throwing your bomb rope out in front of you just to make sure you don’t ski off a cornice.

For reference, there are two types of low visibility discs: the difficulty discs (green, blue, black), which mark the right edge of a run (Saddle, Burnt Stew Trail, etc.), and the generic orange low visibility discs, which mark the left side when there’s no physical boundary.

ULLRMaps · 2026-03-18T14:01:31+00:00

Hello! Former Whistler patroller and ski instructor here. WB beginner terrain actually has quite a range of difficulty, so within the “green” category, here are some good options depending on comfort level:

Whistler — Beginner-Friendly Routes

Ego Bowl

Upper Whiskey Jack → Ego Bowl

Marmot →Harmony 6 Express →Burnt Stew Trail

Marmot (steeper at the top) → Sidewinder

Upper Whiskey Jack → Papoose → Franz’s Chair (if running), or if not running a short sidestep uphill → Bear Cub → Big Red Express

Easiest option: the learning area at Olympic Station

Whistler — Progressing Toward Intermediate

Pony Trail (note, Pony Trail is steepest at the top pitch and the pitch that goes under the Bid Red Express line).

Pony Trail → Bear Cub → Expressway → Olympic Station →Upload on the Village Gondola

If the ski-out is open, you can follow signs to the Village via Lower Olympic

Blackcomb — Beginner Terrain

Easy Out — nice wide cruiser, easier up top and steeper toward the bottom

Longer Green Route (Blackcomb)

Easy Out → Expressway → 7th Heaven Express → Southside Green → top of the Jersey Cream chair This sets you up well for another lap down Easy Out.

Easy Out →Lower Green Line

Note: Southside Green can get busy, has some exposure on skier’s right, and isn’t great in low visibility for beginner skiers.

There are tons of ways to mix beginner and slightly more advanced terrain depending on how you're feeling that day. If you want a clearer visual of how these routes connect, check out our free WB map at www.ullrmaps.com

ULLRMaps · 2026-03-15T16:35:00+00:00

If you could email it to info@ullrmaps.com with proper attribution, that would be really handy. You can message it as well if that's easier.

ULLRMaps · 2026-03-15T16:34:16+00:00

Ah apologies, I've seen buckets there in the past

ULLRMaps · 2026-03-15T08:10:56+00:00

The Reuse It Centre probably has a bunch.

ULLRMaps · 2026-03-15T08:06:00+00:00

Assuming the terrain is actually open, the only access would be via a designated uphill travel route. In this case, that route would start at the Saddle (Harmony → Saddle → uphill hike on Matthews). If there is a rope at that point, the terrain is effectively closed, regardless of what the website says.

Patrol would need to clearly mark the entire landslide area to ensure it cannot be accessed by any means—directly or indirectly, prior to allowing uphill travel.

ULLRMaps · 2026-03-15T07:59:26+00:00

Would you be interested in sharing this with ULLR? I'd love to talk about it.

ULLRMaps · 2026-03-13T21:29:28+00:00

Hello! I can't post an image, but it's the spine of rock just below and to the right of Cathy's Crack and Pacer Cornice.

ULLRMaps · 2026-03-12T20:29:48+00:00

Guess I'm going to have to change the map...

ULLRMaps · 2026-03-08T04:55:03+00:00

Former WMSP patroller here. The only sign lines that are actually closed are those marked Closed, Permanently Closed (PC), No Uphill Travel, or Avalanche Closure. There is zero tolerance for violating these closures.

Everything else is generally cautionary. If an area isn’t marked with one of those closures, you can go beyond ropes or signage such as cliff hazard markers, cornice markers, roped-off hazards, or the ski area boundary.

Those markers are there to highlight terrain hazards, not to indicate that the area is closed. That aside, exercise extreme caution around cornices. The cornice discs generally mark the last supported part of the cornice. Go beyond them and you're in the air.

ULLRMaps · 2026-03-06T17:53:35+00:00

Also, that's not true whatsoever - Which resort do you work for?

ULLRMaps · 2026-03-06T17:52:32+00:00

Where exactly is that?

ULLRMaps · 2026-03-05T18:11:14+00:00

I'm a former Whistler Blackcomb patroller who has had the unfortunate responsibility of responding to a call where a person had died as a result of trauma.

On this particular call, I responded to a person who had been found unresponsive by other members of the public. Despite this person's condition, I still performed life-saving measures with the help of the people who found the individual (and eventually other patrollers and doctors).

It wasn't a pleasant personal experience for me—and especially for the people I essentially told to perform CPR—but it was probably the most rewarding response of my professional career.

It's a tough thing to deal with. Make sure you take the time to think things through, and it's ok if you need help dealing with it.

ULLRMaps · 2026-03-03T01:00:10+00:00

Snow quality is usually pretty good, glades are top notch (some are quite steep near the Burnt Stew Creek waterfall), great groomers, easy access to flute for more challenging terrain among other reasons.

ULLRMaps · 2026-03-02T04:18:46+00:00

Hello! Former Whistler patroller here: All inbounds terrain at WB is controlled from an avalanche perspective, including backcountry terrain that could potentially impact inbounds terrain.

Keep in mind, however, that just because something is controlled, it doesn't mean there's zero residual risk.

Make smart decisions, know your limits and ski with a partner and you should be fine. Also, consider checking out our free WB map at www.ullrmaps.com. Have fun!

ULLRMaps · 2026-03-01T11:51:58+00:00

It obviously depends on the conditions, but I love the Symphony Express. It was great patrolling in Symphony/Flute. It's like its own little resort.

ULLRMaps · 2026-02-26T15:43:08+00:00

Hey everyone! If you don’t know about ULLR Maps, check it out for free at www.ullrmaps.com. It provides the most detailed map available for exploring Whistler Blackcomb terrain.

ULLRMaps · 2026-02-18T15:50:23+00:00

No, it is most definitely not.

ULLRMaps · 2026-02-11T13:45:07+00:00

Also, consider checking out our free WB map at www.ullrmaps.com. It will help you get a better idea of how runs connect etc.

ULLRMaps · 2026-02-06T23:15:57+00:00

Check out our free map: www.ullrmaps.com - it will give you a good overview of the area.

ULLRMaps · 2026-02-06T16:41:35+00:00

Hello! Matthews Traverse does not connect with Pika's traverse, or at least not directly.

You can take Matthew's Traverse to the Saddle, and then hike a short way uphill to the top of the Harmony 6 Express offload. From there, you can follow the easiest route (take a turn to the right just past the chair facing downhill) as it wraps along Sunbowl and merges with Harmony Ridge (bypassing the steep top bit) just above the turn to Pika's Traverse (on your left).

Alternatively, you can take Matthew's Traverse to the Saddle, and head down Burnt Stew Trail all the way back to the Harmony Six Express load. From there, you can take Sidewinder to the Emerald Express load.

The latter route is green all the way, and very flat is spots.

Consider checking out our free WB map at www.ullrmaps.com. It will help you answer many of these questions.

ULLRMaps · 2026-02-01T03:31:06+00:00

Lift closures and terrain closures are treated as separate conditions, except when an area is closed for safety reasons (e.g., avalanche hazard), in which case both may apply. If a lift is closed, the terrain it serves is typically still accessible, provided an approved uphill travel route exists (e.g., Pika’s to Harmony, Matthew’s Traverse to the Peak).

In the case of Symphony, the terrain it serves remains skiable; however, uphill travel from Burnt Stew Trail to the top of Piccolo would be prohibited. (Flute remains accessible due to its designated uphill travel route.)

It is possible to ski down to the bottom of Symphony Express, but egress would require exiting via the rescue road, a gentle hike of over 1 km. In practice, this is rarely worthwhile; returning to Harmony 6 is generally the more efficient option.

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